Modern | War History

The USS Oriskany Was Purposefully Sunk In the Gulf of Mexico to Form An Artificial Reef

USS Oriskany (CV/CVA-34) sinking into the Gulf of Mexico

Laid down in the middle of World War II, the Essex-class aircraft carrier USS Oriskany (CV/CVA-34) didn’t see action until after the conflict. She was…

Exercise Tiger: The D-Day Live-Fire Rehearsal That Resulted In Over 700 Allied Deaths

Allied troops crawling across the beach at Slapton Sands

An immense amount of preparation was involved in ensuring the success of D-Day. The Allies had to make sure they’d achieve the desired outcome, meaning…

RAF Members Preparing to Bomb German Industry Targets During the Battle of the Ruhr

A Royal Air Force (RAF) airman and Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) member standing with a bomb with "ON A VISIT TO THE RUHR" written on it in chalk

Throughout World War II, the Allied forces – in particular, the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the US Army Air Forces (USAAF) – conducted several…

Can You Spot the Finnish Coastal Defense Ship Väinämöinen In This Image?

Väinämöinen anchored while covered in natural camouflage

Camouflage and optical illusions have long been a key part of conflict. Such tactics were heavily used throughout World War II, with examples being the…

Typhoon-Class: The Last of the Famous Soviet Ballistic Missile Submarines Retired In 2023

Illustration of a Typhoon-class submarine next to a ship

The Typhoon-class – also known as Project 941 Akula – were six Soviet nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines. The largest ever constructed, they served with the…

Sunken Remains of German U-boat U-166 In the Depths of the Gulf of Mexico

U-166's deck gun covered in algae on the ocean floor

A total of 23 U-boats were stationed in the Gulf of Mexico during World War II. Over the course of the conflict, they took out…

Malaysia Accuses Chinese Barge of Looting World War II-Era Shipwrecks

Chinese barge Chuan Hong 68 anchored in the water

The Malaysian Maritime Agency has detained a Chinese barge it accuses of looting two British shipwrecks in the South China Sea. The accusations come after…

A Gloster Meteor Once Deflected A V-1 Flying Bomb With Its Wing

Gloster Meteor in flight + V-1 flying bomb in flight

The V-1 flying bomb was an early cruise missile developed by Germany as part of its V-weapons (Vergeltungswaffen) program. Starting on June 13, 1944, V-1s…

HMS Centurion (1911): The British Dreadnought That Saw Action At Jutland and Was Purposefully Sunk After D-Day

HMS Centurion (1911) at sea

The HMS Centurion (1911) was the second of four King George V-class dreadnought battleships. She served with the Royal Navy between 1913-44, seeing action throughout…

Grieving Mother Searches for Son Among Returning Austrian POWs

Grieving mother holding up a photo of her son to a returning prisoner of war (POW)

Following World War II, each nation began the intensive process of returning each other’s prisoners of war (POWs) home to their worried and grieving mothers,…

WWII Veteran Fred Taylor Walks Across Graduation Stage 80 Years After Completing College Degree

Fred Taylor walking across the stage at Cornell College's 2023 graduation ceremony

It wasn’t uncommon for men across the United States to put their education on hold once the country entered the Second World War. Some opted…

Gerda Weissmann Klein: The Holocaust Survivor Who Fell In Love With Her American Liberator

Gerda Weissmann Klein standing at a podium

While two people destined to fall for one another may seem like a thing of fiction, the story of Gerda Weissmann and Kurt Klein might…